Kelovius's Story

"Well, well, well. If it isn't old Bahmy." a voice echoed. Suddenly, right in front of Bahamut, a green, glowing image of a dragons head appeared. It could have been any dragon, but it opened its mouth slightly, exposing two great fangs and a forked tongue, so that Bahamut realised who it was. "So, the rumours are true, you've returned." The dragon smiled "And still as ugly as ever. Go on then, spill the beans, i have three catch up questions, one, what the fuck happened to you? two, do you have an evil plan of revenge and/or world domination and three, do you like my new hologram?"

Bahamut roared in fury, loosing a blue flame at the hologram. Seeing it was simply an illusion, the dark beast narrowed his ivory eyes at the image. "Kelovius...You have a lot of nerve contacting me, traitor." Bahamut snorted smoke at the image, visibly irrated. "And I have indeed returned. And if you know what's good for you, you'd stay in your hole, lest I rip your throat out...Unless you can offer me true assitance. One, I had a run in with Undine and Hikari, two, I plan to destroy Daughtris, and three...You already know my answer..." Bahamut clutched the hole as it pulsated with pain, wincing a bit before speaking a bit. "Besides, you look much like Angius...So, you have no room to speak."

Kelovius smiled "Oh yeah, that little tiff about me giving your location away....yeah, sorry about that. I didn't think they'd lock you away like they did. Besides, you betrayed me plenty of times, and did i reprimand you? No, i found it funny. I'm glad to see that you're still as grumpy as ever, like a hormonal woman. Heck, I've missed you, pal. Things've been really boring without you shouting and swearing 24/7."
He grinned again, but it faded when he saw the dragons wound "Ooohh that looks nasty, those little bitches really screwed you up, huh? Wed have killed em long ago, don't you think? If we had got the chance."
He stiffened at the mentioning of his usefulness "Bahamut, have i ever let you down? The answer, as you know, is yes, but not this time. I've come here to invite you, as guest of honour, to Abarri, i have something.....interesting to show you. Something you'll like very much. When you feel up to it, of course, since at the minute you look like shit, but id love it if you came, preferably without the sweet company of Anguis. The guy gives me the heebie jeebies."

"Oh? Worried he might eat your women? You know how he enjoys the taste of human flesh..." The dragon laughed harshly, deciding to not let Kelovius know about the open communication with Anguis via Sigil. "And if I come to Abarri, what might I expect upon my arrival? Some army to make a pitiful attempt to bring me down? Or will I be welcomed with open arms?" He growled a bit, ignoring the comments off betrayal for now.

Anguis's various heads bickered quietly over leftover scraps and plans for food, but the center cranium listened intently to the conversation. "So, Kelovius has reared back his cocky little head once again?" The center one muttered, the closest two leaning in. "It's about time he showed his face." "That little wyrm looks rather delicious..." The center head snapped at the other two. "Silentium!! Listen!" It hissed quietly, making sure the other heads kept quiet.

"You cant be nice to me for just one second, can you?" Kelovius frowned. "Why the hell would i need an army when we all know that i could take you down myself, with enough luck and effort? I feel.......remorse.....about you being locked away. Not having a business partner to annoy the gods with wasn't much fun. Usually Id laugh at you and feel pretty good about being so clever. But you didn't deserve what they did to you. We're creatures of ancient legend, we're feared and hated, we're regarded as god killers, Bahmy , GOD KILLERS! It was always good the way it was, in the old days, your combative prowess and.... unstable temperament, mixed with my charm, telepathy, wit and considerable good looks, and Anguis the emo tosspot and his heads who he treats like nagging wives. We were a killer team. Don't you remember those good old days, where champions fell before our feet and gods wept at our destruction? Are you just gonna forget them, let them not count just 'cause of one little disagreement? If so, your a bigger moron than you were before. Things were more interesting when we worked together, so why don't you stop being an arse and admit it? The fact is, Bahamut, you have weaknesses, you have flaws, your just too stuck up to see them. If you really want to take the world by storm, You'd stop acting like a 100 years old and come to Abarri. The necromancers? Do you remember them? Turns out they found something. Something big. Something powerful. Something that can kill a god almost instantly. Something DRACONIC. Interested yet? I knew you would be. Now come on, you sexy beast, come to Abarri and we'll get to work, like old times. I even have that special ale you like, you know, that bitter stuff. Ive kept it for you since you were locked away. Itd be a shame for it to go to waste......."

Bahamut was quiet for a moment, but he sighed soon enough. "Fine, but I'm going to be bringing a few guests...Including Anguis. I have prior obligations, but, I think I can set one of my lieutenants up to the task." The dark dragon waved a clawed hand off of the injured wing. The limb quivered a bit as it moved slowly. As it healed, he rehabilitated himself; Bahamut wanted to be ready to go as soon as he fully heals. "Set up a sigil in Abarri in a space for me and Anguis to have room to move in and then send the mana frequency to me. We can take care of the rest." Bahamut moved as if to prepare to end his conversation, but then looked back. "Also, a word to you who enjoys the company of humanoid females...Be cautious of my lieutenant Mulier Tentationis. She a man eater...Literally." The dragon smirked before waving off Kelovius.

"Fine." Kelovius grunted "But you owe me one. I need to conserve power for the....thing I'm doing. Thus ill be using the minimum power level sigil. You may experience sickness, drowsiness, permanent infertility, or the growth of an extra head, but I'm sure it wont happen, and if it does ill pay compensation, namely, a quick bite of venom to put you out of your misery. See you in a tic." then the hologram vanished


Kelovius' mind returned to his body, and he shuddered as he recovered from his previous trancelike state. He levitated his cigar to his lips and clutched it between his teeth. In front of him sat a row of machines, each operated by froglike humanoids.
"Power up Betsy!" he barked, motioning to an old worn sigil near the compounds entrance which was being displayed on a humming monitor.
"Yes, Professor Freedom." croaked an operator, who flicked a switch, which caused the whole room to shudder slightly as the sigil was charged up by the central power crystal on the roof.

"Cheap as ever..." Bahamut muttered as the image disappeared. He wasn't too worried about it, nor should he worry too much about the side effects. Him and Mulier had enough of a grasp on the finer workings of mana that they'd be able to bypass those effects. Guy would be of some concern, and Anguis wouldn't need to worry about the possible effects. The dark dragon turned his head toward the still lit sigil. "You know what to do Anguis. When I give the order, we'll go through. I'm bringing in Mulier and a new recruit. Don't eat him."

...Fishan...

Anguis's collective heads grinned as the conversation they eavesdropped on ended. It would be nice for them to get out of the cave again. The center one listened to what Bahamut said, one of the outermost ones piping up with a cackle. "No guarantees!" They all gave a confirming nod and began their own preparations.

Kelovius felt the mana pulsing through the room. The sigil was clearly ready.
"Computer?" he queried
A dry, cruel, grating voice of a woman filled the room
"Yes, Lord Kelovius?" the AI replied
"Use the previous history of my transportational holographic projection to send Betsy's frequency to any active sigil in the area i just visited. Shouldn't be too hard." he barked
"No, mi'lord, it will be done. I will also set the sigil to notify subject 2354666, Bahamut."
"Very well, saves me the trouble. His sigil will send a mental....pulse to his brain, i presume?"
"Yes, my lord." And the voice faded

He looked at his Ubarri assistant. "Janice, be a dear and greet them at the entrance?"
"Will do, sir." She said excitededly, and ran out the door. When she was alone, she pulled out a book, which contained a hastily scrawled list. She ticked off where it said 'Have him get your name right for three days in a row' What was next on the list? What? Ask him if he's interested in amphibians? Was she ready to ask something like that?

As the portal burst open in Ubarra, an immense and brief wave of dry heat pulsed from the dark wormhole. Soon, Bahamut had stepped through, walking forward and moving to where the miniscule Janice was near the underside of his left flank. The dark dragon had not noticed the female as he swayed his extremely long tail. "Kelovius! Bring yourself forward! I have a...Gift...For you." The beast bellowed out.

Mulier and her agents stepped through, all three vampires unscathed, though the two guards would mutter to each other about how warm and damp it was. With a grin, the temptress looked around and took in the sights before turning back to check and see if Guy had made it through.

Guy walked through, it seemed odd, he had never been through a portal before. He soon deduced he preferred physical travel as they came out he saw a new dragon, this one though more of a giant snake. he saw Bahamut turn to it and offer it a gift. guy just walked towards muilier who was looking at him. "ummm... a friend of yours?" guy asked with a mixture of awe, shock, worry, and fear.

"Um.... excuse me.... mister...uhhhh...dragon? Hello? Down here!" squeaked Janice at the top of her voice. "Professor Freedom, you know him as Kelovius, is very busy at the moment. Could you just....." she was cut of as Bahamut's tail hit her. It didn't land anywhere too damaging but it swept her off her feet, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

The doors of the facility opened and Kelovius slithered out. He reared up, so he could meet Bahamut's gaze. Then he noticed Janice. "Uhhh.... you MAY have knocked my lovely assistant out cold. Ummm....her name's Janice by the way." He whistled and two more Ubarri in lab coats hurried to Janice's side. "Little miss needs a lie down. Look after her, will you? Blankets Warmth, etc. You know the drill. Hurry, she'll catch cold.
He turned back to his guests as the two Ubarri carried Janice back inside. "Aaaaaaanyyyyywayyyyy.... hello there Bahmy. Took you long enough, didn't it? A gift, you say. Best not be something that'll kill me. As you may have noticed, i have top notch security."
With that a high pitch shriek could be heard in the sky. It would mean nothing to Bahamut's companions, but to Bahamut it would have much resonance.

It was the call of a Dragon.

Kelovius smiled. "I'll explain later, old friend. For now, i see a gift that may last me for a while." He slithered over to Mulier.
"Well, hello there, miss Mulier. Surprised that i know your name? 'Tis the gift of telepathy, my dear. Plus i heard much of your exploits during the war from Bahmy. I never had the pleasure of meeting you, i don't think. I'm sure i would've remembered it." He glanced at her companion. A warrior-merchant, and a frightened one at that.
"Awww, are you scared, little man?" He asked, lowering his great head down to Guy. "Don't be scared. I'm a decent guy, Guy. Heh. Guy, guy. Anyway, yeah, don't be scared. If there's anyone you need to be scared of, its...." and he flicked his tail in Bahamut's direction.
"Here, you might be more comfortable with this." Suddenly, he was enveloped in light. When the light dissipated, a well built, slender gentleman with piercing green eyes and perfect cheekbones in a suit and bowler hat stood in his place. "There, much better." he said, Kelovius' familiar cockney accent sounding from his lips. "A new polymorph spell, managed to sort it out just now. Thats why i couldn't greet you. Quite nice, isn't it?. Means i can do this." and he slowly bent over and kissed Mulier's hand. Then he outstretched his own, new, fleshy hand to Mulier. "Shall we go in, mi'lady? Such a pretty flower shouldn't be left out in the cold to wither."

Guy smiled at this giant snake. kelovius was it? "Well it's much easier to fear when you're a giant beast." Guy said with a smirk as the beast had turned into a man. though he was actually a creature he was still a man and he could tell that he had a thing for Mulier. he laughed in his head to himself. 'good luck.' he had dealt with mages before and he honestly didn't like his mind being read at all, he knew focussing on one thing stopped it. but Guy was already doing that, his armour had moved again, he re-adjusted it again. the moving of it was now some what constant, every few minutes it moved and he had to fix it.

Bahamut snarled as Kelovius entered and swiftly took a human form. The dark dragon would've struck, but it would kill him in the human form. He shifted and watched as the Ubarri shuffled away the one called "Janice". The dragon was about to speak, but then he heard the call. The draconic call. The way the shriek went was unnatural, nothing a normal dragon or wyrm could ever make; it shook Bahamut to the core. What the hell had Kelovius and those frog-folk gotten themselves into?

Mulier smiled and bowed as Kelovius made his initial advance, simply listening with folded arms afterward. She had heard it all before, and Kelovius was being another nuisance, wannabe suitor. The two bodyguards tensed up as Kelovius reached for her, but relaxed when they sawit was just a kiss. The Temptress vampire waved away the shape-shifting dragon's hand, that lovely and confident grin creasing her lips. "That will be Lady Tentationis for you. And, I'll have to turn you down. As you can see, I'm well protected..." She turned and indicated to the vampire guardsmen. After a split second, she indicated to Guy as he stood. "And I already have an escort." She gave a playful yet flirtatious wink to Guy. She liked him because she could be open with him, and Mulier felt that it made her feel truly close to someone, which was an exhilirating feeling. As an infiltration and espionage expert, she was used to making and breaking false connections. What she felt with Guy was genuine.

Guy smirked. He was glad he was making friends. Especially with highly wealthy and powerful people. As a merchant that meant alot to him. And as a person, it made him feel warm and happy to be welcome. "Escort. Yes I guess I have become just that, Haven't I?" He said with a a little chuckle at the end. "Well let me escort you to the nearest quiet private place so we can speak." he said. he took hold of one of her wrists and took her from Kelvius. He lead her to a palce out of earshot and slightly away from anyones view, though if they moved they could have seen them.

"Well Mulier, I have some questions, and as your escort I need some information." he said as he released her wrist. "First who is this Bahamut and what are his goals? Second, If these goals are acheived what will come of it? and Lastly." Guy said as he pulled the black gem from his belt. "What is this?" he asked.

((You may want to ask Shade about the Gem...))

"Typical." mused the wyrm. "Absolutely typical. I was told how she'd wrap men around her little finger, yet the one time a man actually WANTS her to do so, she throws it in his surprisingly attractive face. Oh well." He watched her and the merchant, whom he'd decided he liked, find some privacy.
"If there's one thing i embody, its persistence. Youll see. She'll take the bait. For now YOU'LL have to do."
He turned to Bahamut as he shifted back into his true form. He slithered playfully up to the beast, loosely entrapping him within scaly coils. He brought his head up to meet Bahamuts gaze. "So, how are things? We didn't really get a chance for small talk with the hologram, did we? You seem to have lost weight. Good for you. Then again its probably due to you being sealed up for so long. Lets see if its affected your sharpness, too." And with that his eyes turned into swirling vortexes of white, crimson and magenta. "You want to serve me, don't you?" he cooed as he looked into Bahamuts eyes "You want to be my eternal thrall. My plaything? Hmn? Hmmmnnnnnn?" he smiled as the light from his eyes vanished "Nope, Nothing. Diddly squat. Still can't crack that ol' nut. That's good news. We can still rely on your clear mind even when faced with enemy telepaths."
He winked playfully
"C'mon Bahmy, loosen up. Your all tight, tense and hunched over. Oh wait, i see why, a stressed pressure point."
He angled a portion of his midsection between Bahamuts shoulderblades and began to massage.
"There we go, now relax, and tell me EVERYTHING that's happened since your return. Be loose, man. Be loose."

Mulier shifted and moved with Guy, listening to his questions. Her back was to Kelovius and Bahamut, so, her bodyguards took up a sort of watch. For the most part, she could hear Kelovius, and honestly, she didn't care. Try as the wyrm wished, he would never have his way. One did not simply seduce and sway a temptress vampire who excelled at infiltration, espionage, and information gathering.

"Well...Before he was sealed, Lord Bahamut simply planned to conquer Daughtris, wreak a little havoc here and there...But, now, I think he's out for blood...He's got a sort of grudge against the gods and goddesses. I can't be too sure of what would result if he succeeded on his current path..." Mulier paused when Guy pulled the gem. She plucked it from his grasp and tilted her head. "My, my, quite the find you have here. I'm not completely sure as to what it is, but, when we get back, I can have some of my people in Pruwas give it a look.." Mulier handed it back to Guy, keeping her gaze on it. She felt pure dark energy emnating from it; more than any natural energy stone could ever make, even the ones the size of homes.

As Kelovius ranted, Bahamut simply growled occasionally and listened. When the wyrm attempted any sort hypnosis, Bahamut resisted easily, giving a glare that screamed death. If looks could kill, Kelovius would've been dead ten times over. Bahamut was prepared to speak, but then Kelovius did the one thing he despised; he touched Bahamut. With a bellowing roar, the dark dragon grabbed at Kelovius's slender body to throw him. "Get off of me you sentimental fool!" The massive beast cursed at Kelovius in draconic, glancing up toward where the screech came from. "You wonder why I have such contempt for you. Always beating around the bush and pushing your luck...." Bahamut snorted smoke.

"I swear....One of these days, I may kill you..."

After taking a breather, Bahamut narrowed his eyes at Kelovius. "The reunion can wait for when those pesky goddesses are out of the way. I came here to learn of what you found, and now I demand to see what this is." The dark dragon growled deeply, smoke seeping out between his teeth; a fire was building up for a breath attack. "I am not one of these fool Ubarri that you have wrapped around your claw, so choose your words wisely."

Kelovius yelped and hit the dirt. He let himself roll, then hauled himself back up. Cuts and bruises, nothing he couldn't handle. He gave an icy stare at Bahamut, venom flashing in his eyes. "Listen, Bahmy. I'm not some idiot you can push around like your other loser followers, no offence to Guy and Mulier. Here, I make the rules, not you." And as if to prove his point vines sprouted fromn the ground, lifting him above the ground so he looked down on the dragon. "Can you feel it, in the air? That magic presence, making you uneasy? Don't lie to me, it affects you, i know. Im a telepath, remember? Well, that presence is ME. This entire patch of land twists to my whim. While you've been off on your little nap ive gotten stronger, more powerful. I'm king here, and I don't take kindly to usurpers like you. I've been civil. Ive been polite. But, as i anticipated, you're throwing it in my face. You are Bahamut after all. The ickle dragon who couldn't get his own way. As you'll see from my discoveries, compared to what ive seen and acquired you're a mere stain on the ground. You don't know just what power ive found, and you never will until you respect me, as i do to you. For know, im content to make you crawl.

And with that he clawed at Bahamut's mind with his iron will. Sheer malice, fuelled by draconic power, suddenly pouring into the dragon's skull. It would not kill Bahamut, for he still liked him deep down and did not desire that, but it would cause him immense pain. Even on someone as strongwilled as Bahamut, for the more the victim resisted, the more it would hurt. Kelovius smiled cruelly. "Tell me Bahamut, what did it feel like? To be caged in Light all those years? Did it burn? Did you scream? If so, maybe ratting you out wasn't such a bad idea after all." He chuckled, and continued to tear at Bahamut's brain. He would learn his place in Ubarra soon enough, only then would he reveal his discoveries.

While Guy was thinking about his future he felt a change in the air. Since guy was weak to Magic he was trained to snse it's presence. But he definately felt a spell. He came from his and Muliers hiding spot and found the Snake Dragon Kelovius. He knew what he was doing. It was a mind attack. It took great will, and mental ability to do. Since Bahamut's mind was already pierced by Kelovius Guy could easily jump into it. he saw horrible memories a he rushed to his masters aid. Guy put himself somewhat into Bahamut's conscience to give him more strength to push off the attack. Guy knew how Mind battles worked, he knew what to do, but he lacked experience of them. He had been in a couple with mages in raids, but nothing really major.

Guy acted like a defender to Kelovius's razor claws tearing at Bahamut's mind, he would block most of his tearing atempts but couldn't catch them all. He himself got hit a couple times. "Kelovius. You know Bahamut will not stand for this madness stop now." Guy told the Whatever he was Kelovius. This was pointless and would only make Bahumut angry. And guy had seen it before, not up close, but dragons weren't very nice to be around when they were angry.